Danu Macon plans to plant 1,000 fruit trees in Western North Carolina in 2018.
Making the grade: WNC’s college dining programs get high scores for sustainability
Increasingly, U.S. colleges and universities are working to make their institutions as environmentally sustainable as possible. These efforts cover a broad spectrum, from a recycling initiative at Stanford University that diverts 65 percent of the school’s solid waste away from landfills to Cornell’s plan to be carbon-neutral by 2035, as noted in The Princeton Review’s annual ranking […]
Workshops focus on caring for Asheville’s urban forests
Asheville GreenWorks, the Tree Commission and the city have joined forces to host a four-part workshop series on tree care this spring.
Conscious Party: Green Built Alliance Disc Golf Tournament
The fundraiser for the sustainable design nonprofit takes place April 14 at Lake Julian Park.
DeWayne Barton feeds both mouth and spirit at the Burton Street Peace Garden
The Burton Street Peace Garden started out as a community experiment, says founder DeWayne Barton. Today, the space serves a variety of needs and purposes, nourishing bodies and souls on what was once a trash-strewn vacant lot.
Boone Guyton’s car is powered by the sun
When Boone Guyton and Claudia Cady take to the road, they are driving on energy gathered from the sun by their home solar panel system. The couple made the switch to an electric vehicle as a personal step to fight climate change.
Wildly prolific: Cooking with WNC’s native spring perennials
Some of Western North Carolina’s freshest spring ingredients are found outside the garden.
Little miracles: Look now for spring ephemeral wildflowers
“In April, a lush carpet of green emerges from the forest floor, and an astonishing array of flowers opens to the bright sunshine.”
Power to the people: Best of WNC 2018 voting begins
With a far out feeling, voting has begun for the beloved annual Best of WNC awards. Only you can decide who’ll be feelin’ it in the new summer of love, when winners are announced this August. You have until 11:59 p.m. on the night of Saturday, April 28 to complete your ballot and make sure your voice is heard. […]
Talk to celebrate options for gardening beneath the tree canopy
On March 20, landscape architect Sieglinde Anderson and photographer Ruthie Rosauer will share advice for gardening beneath and appreciating this region’s diverse and abundant tree canopy. Sponsored by the Hendersonville Tree Board, the talk will take place at 6 p.m. at the Henderson County Library Auditorium in downtown Hendersonville.
Asheville City Council, Buncombe Commissioners discuss racial equity, development in joint meeting
2018’s annual joint meeting of Asheville City Council and the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners highlighted issues of racial equity, police use-of-force and zoning conflicts affecting Buncombe residents.
Conscious Party: U.N. World Water Day Celebration
The benefit concert for SAFE Water Now takes place March 21 at The Grey Eagle.
Mountain roots: Asheville digs into the culinary uses of kudzu
Although originally lauded for its ability to stop erosion, kudzu fell from grace when its vigorous vines started to take over the landscape of the South. But a group of Asheville permaculture enthusiasts choose to view the plant in a more favorable light.
Future transit efforts, concerns mirror Asheville’s past
Asheville as we know it today was built upon the back of its electric streetcar system, one of the largest networks of its time. As the city finds itself in a growth spurt once again, could its defunct trolley system provide some clues to Asheville’s transit future?
To-go box revival: How to turn restaurant leftovers into new meals
This new series challenges local chefs to help combat food waste by offering innovative strategies for rejuvenating restaurant leftovers.
Icky leaks
ASHEVILLE
Despite environmental concerns, salt still most effective de-icer
To keep cars from slipping and sliding — and crashing and smashing — when weather conditions turn roads icy, the city of Asheville and the N.C. Department of Transportation treat local motorways with salt. While the substance can impact water quality and the health of wildlife, officials say they mostly succeed in balancing environmental and traffic safety concerns.
Totally wasted: Asheville chefs offer tips for keeping food out of the trash
Food waste is a costly problem that is particularly painful in Western North Carolina with its high rate of food insecurity. Thrifty local chefs say there are many ways to start ending food waste in the home kitchen.
HUMOR ISSUE: Predictions for the coming year
SATIRE: Xpress takes a loving look at local media, food and politics.
Quick Dish: Q+A with Brooks Casteel of UNC Asheville Dining Services
Casteel talks about UNC Asheville’s sustainability and food waste prevention efforts.
Local agencies wrestle with livestock impacts on water quality
Advocates for clean water in North Carolina often focus on the eastern part of the state, which hosts one of the world’s highest concentration of hogs. But French Broad Riverkeeper Hartwell Carson emphasizes that Western North Carolina and its smaller farms are not immune from the water quality issues related to animal agriculture.